New Macbook Pro lineup and details

The newest MacBook refresh has been announced, and I have to say I like what I see.  Physically it hasn't changed much, which is a good thing as the Pro remains one of the best looking laptops available.  Under the hood is where it gets interesting.

Apple has included Intel's newest line of Sandybridge i-series processors.  Dual Core i5's for the 13.3-inch, and Quad Core i7s for the 15 and 17-inch models.  For graphics they include onboard Intel HD 3000 graphics.  Or if you get one of the larger screened models you have the option for AMD Radeon onboard switchable graphics, said to offer up to 3x the performance of last years model.  The front facing camera has been upgraded as well.  You can now make widescreen 720p Factime calls.  You can make calls from Macbook to Macbook, Macbook to iPhone 4, or use any standard PC video chat program.  The battery has also been upgraded.  You can expect up to around 7 hrs with the new line according to Apple.

Apple has also come up with a new I/O port, and is claiming it is the fastest port ever put into a notebook.  They call it Thunderbolt, it is supposed to combine the functionality of a PCI Express slot with that of their proprietary DisplayPort technology.  You can connect things like RAID arrays and video capture devices to it and expect the same types of speed you would get from PCI Express.  It also offers 10 watts of power to your connected device.  Simple adapters allow you to convert the port to Firewire, USB, or even Ethernet.  It also will pass full HD video and audio through DisplayPort cables.

Pricing is as followed:

13-inch MacBook Pro
$1,199
2.3GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5
Intel HD Graphics 3000
230GB HDD

13-inch MacBook Pro
$1,499
2.7GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5
Intel HD Graphics 3000
500GB HDD

15-inch MacBook Pro
$1,799
2.0 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics
500GB HDD

15-inch MacBook Pro
$2,199
2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics
750GB HDD

17-inch MacBook Pro
$2,499
2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics
750GB HDD

All versions are available for order now.  Check out the complete specs and info here.